


Laundromat

by afterglowlita



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Meetings, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-18 13:53:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9388010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afterglowlita/pseuds/afterglowlita
Summary: Written for the prompt: "It's 2 am and we're both doing laundry and I can see you checking out my Hello Kitty pajamas.”Poe Dameron does some late-night laundry down at the local laundromat. There, he meets Finn, a local college student who's procrastinated on doing laundry himself.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This has been unfinished in my Google Docs for m o n t h s. I just got inspired to finish it and I thought my Stormpilot pals would appreciate some good old-fashioned meet-cute in a college AU setting. 
> 
> As always, kudos and feedback are appreciated!

As a college student in his last year, Poe Dameron has ascended to a level of apathy that most college seniors achieve at any given point during their last two semesters. If he’s being honest, Poe feels that he’s earned it. As a student studying industrial engineering, he’s taken three years of intensive classes and maintained a 4.0, all while working for a non-profit organization run by renowned senator Leia Organa. To say that Poe is burnt out would be an understatement. 

Which is why Poe finds himself at the local 24 hour laundromat at 2 AM, catching up on laundry that should have been done _weeks_ ago. (He’s triple-worn t-shirts this week and he’s not proud). 

The laundromat is quiet, save for the rattle of the washing machine and the hum of the dryer that are running simultaneously. The fluorescent lights flicker overhead as Poe folds a pair of freshly dried jeans. They smell strongly of Downy--a scent that reminds Poe of his mother and home. He tosses the folded jeans into a waiting laundry basket and moves on to the next pair in the pile. 

It’s not until he’s about halfway through the pile that the door to the laundromat jingles. Poe jumps. He’s been alone this whole time, lost in his own head while washing and folding methodically. Curious, he swivels around to see who else is coming in so late at night to do their own laundry. 

The boy who walked in looks young, with a warm, dark complexion and a toned physique that draws Poe’s attention as he moves to the washer a few spaces down from Poe’s. The stranger smiles at Poe for a moment with a flash of blinding white teeth, and Poe can’t help but stare as he hoists his laundry basket onto the lip of the washing machine and dumps some of his clothing inside, already pre-separated.

His arms look like they might bust through the sleeves of his grey t-shirt at any second, and Poe feels that he may _pass out_ at any second. This guy is so handsome it should be illegal.

 _Don’t be weird_ , Poe scolds himself, looking away and turning so that he can take a seat. He looks at his book on the blue, plastic chair next to him. It’s splayed out and frayed, with a worn spine from Poe’s reading. It’s a cheesy pulp romance novel about a pilot who goes off to war and leaves his lover behind. Poe is a sucker for romance. He’s an even bigger sucker for anything to do with piloting. 

He picks up the book and opens to where his bookmark lay, but he can’t focus. In his peripheral vision, Poe watches the handsome stranger take a seat and pull out his own book. Poe glances over and notices that it’s a chemistry textbook from a class he took two years ago. The stranger pulls out a bright pink highlighter and uncaps it with his teeth. 

Poe is intrigued. He wants to ask the stranger a question about school, his studies, or anything that may start a conversation. But it’s 2 AM and the guy is obviously studying, so Poe decides not to disturb him. 

15 minutes pass, and Poe’s still unable to focus as he continues to steal glances at the handsome stranger sitting near him. He’s caught the guy’s eye a few times, and each time, the stranger looked away and pretended to focus on his textbook. Poe hopes to catch his eye again, just to see that bashful smile. 

The dryer stops and Poe stands and stretches quietly, scratching idly at his side before opening the door and pulling his clothes out to fold. He hears the stranger clear his throat and Poe glances back to see him staring at his ass. 

Well, more likely, his sweats, which Poe has just realized are hot pink Hello Kitty sweats that his best friend Jessika Pava gave him as a gift. If there’s one thing Poe Dameron loves more than romance novels, it’s Hello Kitty merchandise. 

“I like your sweats,” the stranger says, flashing those pearly whites at Poe again. 

“Thanks,” Poe answers, grinning back as if his knees didn’t nearly give at the deepness of the stranger’s voice. “I’m a big Hello Kitty fan.” 

The stranger chuckles and shuts his textbook with his highlighter still inside as a bookmarker. “I like Hello Kitty, too. Though, I’d have to say I probably like Tarepanda more.” 

Poe nearly keels over. “I _adore_ Tarepanda. I have a Tarepanda plush at home.” 

The stranger grins and says, “Me too! My friend Rey got it for me. It was the best birthday present ever.” 

Poe walks over and extends his hand with a smile. “I’m Poe.” 

“Finn,” he replies, shaking Poe’s hand firmly. 

“Are you a student at the university here?” Poe gestures towards the chemistry textbook. 

Finn laughs and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “Yeah, I’m a freshman. I’m studying civil engineering right now, but I’m still not entirely sure what I want to do when I grow up.” 

Poe sits beside Finn, his unfolded clothes the least of his concerns. 

“I’m an engineering major, too! Industrial engineering, more specifically. I’m not entirely sure what I want to do either, but I’d love to work on airplanes or be a pilot someday.”

Finn nods. “I bet you’d be an amazing pilot.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, Finn’s eyes widen and he looks down at his lap bashfully. Poe thinks this boy is trying to kill him with cuteness. 

“Well, I appreciate that, Finn,” Poe says. 

Finn says, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean--I’m bad with words. And saying them. Out loud. What were we talking about?” 

“We were talking about your studies,” Poe answers. 

“Right! Right… Um, well, I’m just hoping to work for some kind of government organization one day, maybe. I’d like to make a difference, somewhere, somehow.” 

Poe raises his eyebrows, struck with a suddenly brilliant idea. “Actually, I’m working for a state senator right now. Senator Leia Organa? She’s the head of a non-profit organization that looks to help people in need. I can talk with her about hiring you on if you’d like some experience.” 

“That’d be amazing!” Finn exclaims. “I mean, if it’s not too much to ask.” 

Poe chuckles, “I’m the one who offered, Finn.” 

“Thank you,” Finn replies, rubbing his hands along his jeans nervously. “I really appreciate it. I didn’t think I’d come to the laundromat late at night and meet someone so cool. But, I guess these things always happen when you least expect them to, huh?” 

There’s a few moments of silence between them. Finn looks up and smiles at Poe sheepishly, and Poe’s stomach does a backflip. Suddenly, Finn’s washer dings and both men jump at the noise.

“I better get that,” Finn mumbles, scrambling from the chair to load his clothes into the dryer. While Finn busies himself, Poe looks down at the textbook and notices a few pages of notes sticking out from the back. He discreetly opens the textbook, careful not to lose Finn’s page, and writes down his phone number in pink highlighter along the top of the note page, along with his name and a smiley face. Poe hoped to be discreet, but Finn turns back at that moment and notices what he’s doing. 

“You should call me sometime,” Poe says, capping the highlighter and sticking it back into the book. “You’re taking this class with Professor Hux, right?” 

Finn nods, tight-lipped as he tries to suppress his smile. “Mmhm.” 

“He’s a total tight-ass, but I can help you study for his tests and stuff, if you want. We can talk about other things too. Like engineering, or Sanrio characters.”

Finn laughs at this, clearly surprised but delighted. “I’d like that, Poe.” 

Poe stands and heads toward the dryer, piling the rest of his laundry into the basket without folding. His body is warm with a flush and his stomach is fluttering in giddiness. 

“Call me or text me anytime. And if you want to, like, get coffee or something, I’d be open to that, too,” Poe says.

“Yeah,” Finn nods. “That’d be nice.” 

Poe pushes against the door with his back, smiling so hard he feels that his face may split in half. 

“Talk to you later, then?” 

Finn grins and clutches his wet jeans tightly in his hands. “Yeah, of course. Thanks, again.”


End file.
